AIDS - subject's the same but ...

AIDS - subject's the same but ...

Warief Djajanto Basorie, Contributor, Jakarta

Indonesia, Riding the Paradox, Safe Sex and the Media in
Southeast Asia

Nurul Agustina and Irwan JuliantoAIDS Society of the Philippines,
July 2004

88 pp

The fact is that the condom is an effective means to prevent
infection of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But how has
Indonesia's media reported on condom use?

A recent study focuses on how two Jakarta-based quality
dailies, one nonpartisan and the other Islamic, report sensitive
issues to their reading public in the world's largest nation with
a Muslim majority population.

Kompas (circulation 500,000), arguably Jakarta's premier
newspaper, readily reports condom use as a way to promote safe
sex and minimize sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV
infection. (p. 57)

On the other hand, Republika (circulation 130,000), a paper
that advances Islamic values and is linked to the Indonesian
Muslim Intellectuals Association (ICMI), is more circumspect if
not conservative. It views the promotion of condom use as
something that "violates the religious command to avoid adultery
because condoms tend to encourage people to engage in
extramarital sex." (p. 70)

Indonesia: Riding the Paradox, published in July 2004 to
coincide with the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok,
explores how each newspaper reports on HIV/AIDS and related
delicate issues of sexuality and safe sex. These issues include
condom use, rape and sexual assault, prostitution and sex
slavery, abortion, pedophilia and polygamy.

The book is based on a six-month-long study on how sex and
sexuality were reported on in the two newspapers in 1997, 2000
and 2002. The first year was when Asia's monetary crisis shook
the Indonesian economy. The second year represents the period
when Indonesia developed a freer press following Soeharto's
resignation in May 1998 after ruling for 32 years. The third year
depicts the year when the country's economy began to improve.

The study was undertaken by two journalists, Nurul Agustina of
Republika and Irwan Julianto of Kompas. Despite their perceived
bias as the primary investigators, their findings provide an
informative content analysis of how each paper deals with
HIV/AIDS and related issues.

Their content reflects their respective editorial tenets.
Kompas asserts humanism and empathy toward the unfortunate and
the marginalized whereas Republika emphasizes the upholding of
religious norms. Their differing perspectives is illustrated by
the issue of extramarital sex; Republika maintains it is
"forbidden by God" whereas Kompas underscores empathy toward
young girls and women forced into prostitution. (p. 15)

The same subject gets very different treatment. For instance,
an interesting distinction is in the reporting in September 2002
on the withdrawal, after protests from Islamic groups, from TV of
a public service announcement (PSA) on the use of condoms for
safe sex. The health ministry endorsed the PSA as part of the
national movement to curb HIV infection.

Republika rejected the TV ad; quoting experts, the paper said
promoting condoms instead of marital fidelity was the wrong way
to address the HIV problem. (p. 40)

Meanwhile, Kompas, as an advocate of condom use to prevent HIV
infection, tried to neutralize the controversy by running a Sept.
13, 2002, story with the headline Government still supports the
condom campaign. (p. 58)

Inevitably, the PSA was modified: The message for safe sex
through condom use is no longer delivered through a tune by the
late musician Harry Roesli. The PSA now features an authority
figure, in the person of moderate Muslim scholar and medical
doctor Tarmizi Taher, an advocate of interfaith relations and a
former minister of religious affairs.

In the message, Taher condemns zina (adultery) but favors use
of condoms for "diehard" men to reduce the chances of spreading
HIV to their wives and babies (p.59). The revised PSA has been
aired as a late night spot on state-run TVRI with little if no
objection.

On the reporting of HIV/AIDS per se, Republika avoids risk-
prone discussion on sexuality and safe sex. For the newspaper, it
seems safe sex could only mean sexual relations within a legally
sanctioned relationship. Its editors would prefer to discuss sex
education rather than condom use in the sex trade or by being
very critical of pornography. (p. 78)

Riding the Paradox is one title in a seven-book series
reviewing the content and quality of Southeast Asian media
coverage on sexuality and safe sex. The series, published by the
AIDS Society of the Philippines, cover a regional analysis and
six country monographs; the others are Cambodia, Laos, the
Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The monograph on Indonesia ends with a recommendation for the
holding of capability building forums to explore effective
approaches for society to deal with sex issues and HIV/AIDS. As
the book is addressed to both public stakeholders and the press,
the authors could have cross-interviewed the relevant editors of
Republika and Kompas to comment, if not confirm, the findings of
the research.

Irwan could have interviewed Republika editors and Nurul
talked with editors at Kompas on their considerations in covering
AIDS. Such feedback section could help reporters and writers with
an added perspective and tool on how to cover the AIDS story
accurately, rationally and with more sensitivity.

The reviewer teaches journalism at the Dr. Soetomo Press
Institute in Jakarta. He managed a recently concluded one-year
workshop on AIDS reporting and can be reached at
wariefdj@hotmail.com.